Tehran says detention of Iranian in Italy amounts to 'hostage-taking'

(Reuters) - Iran said on Monday the detention of an Iranian national in Italy at the request of the U.S. amounted to hostage-taking.

Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini was detained in Milan last month. He is wanted by the United States on suspicion of involvement in a drone strike against U.S. forces in Jordan. Iran has denied involvement.

His arrest has been linked to the detention three days later of Italian reporter Cecilia Sala, who was seized in Tehran on Dec. 19 while working under a regular journalistic visa.

"We regard the pursuit or extradition of Iranian nationals in certain countries as a form of hostage-taking," Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters.

"The main accusation against them is circumvention of unilateral U.S. sanctions," he said in a televised news conference in Tehran. "Fabricating a judicial cover to trap Iranian nationals is illegal, immoral, and a violation of human rights."

Asked if Sala's detention was linked to Abedini's arrest in Italy, Baghaei said: "These matters are not related in any way."

Abedini was detained at Milan's Malpensa airport on a U.S. warrant for allegedly supplying drone parts that Washington says were used in the 2023 attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan.

Abedini is currently being held in prison and a court is due to decide this month whether to grant him house arrest while judges consider the U.S. extradition request.

Italy's foreign ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador last week to demand Sala's immediate release and said it had relayed "serious concern" over her detention.

In recent years, Iran's security forces have arrested dozens of foreigners and dual nationals, mostly on charges related to espionage and security. Rights groups have accused Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran denies this.

(dubai.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com; Editing by Ros Russell)